How to Join the Indian Armed Forces

The Indian Armed Forces

The Indian Armed Forces comprise three wings — the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force — each with its own recruitment process for commissioned officers. Entry routes vary by wing, education level, and the type of commission sought (permanent or short-service).

This guide describes the main officer-entry routes at a structural level. Eligibility, vacancies, age limits, and notification dates are set by each service or by UPSC for the relevant examination and change each cycle — always verify on the official recruitment website.

Entry after Class 12 — NDA route

The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the primary route to join all three wings after Class 12. The written NDA examination is conducted by UPSC, and successful candidates join the NDA for a tri-service training programme before commissioning into their chosen service.

The Air Force and Navy wings at NDA generally require Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level; the Army wing has different subject requirements. Confirm exact eligibility in the official UPSC NDA notification.

Entry after graduation — CDS and AFCAT

Graduate-level entry routes include the Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination (conducted by UPSC) for Army, Navy, and Air Force entries, and the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) (conducted by the Indian Air Force) for Flying and Ground Duty officer entries.

Both involve a written examination followed by a Services Selection Board (SSB) or Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) process. Eligibility, entry branches, and subject requirements differ — check the respective official notifications.

• CDS (UPSC) — IMA, INA, AFA, OTA entries
• AFCAT (Indian Air Force) — Flying, Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical)

Technical and short-service entries

Each service also offers various technical entry schemes (for engineering graduates), short-service commission entries, and specialist entries (for medical, law, education, and other domains). These are notified separately by each service through their official recruitment portals.

The Army notifies entries via joinindianarmy.nic.in, the Navy via joinindiannavy.gov.in, and the Air Force via careerairforce.gov.in.

• Technical Entry Scheme (TES) — Army (10+2 level)
• Technical Graduate Course (TGC) — Army (engineering graduates)
• Similar technical and short-service entries exist for the Navy and Air Force — check official portals

Use official information

The specifics of every entry — eligibility, age limits, vacancies, selection stages, medical standards — are set by the conducting body (UPSC or the individual service) each cycle and are subject to change. No preparation or guidance can guarantee selection. Verify all details on the official portals before applying.